That's the only pick that I had reservations about (besides my earlier list including no-heart-but-incredible-puncher Liston). Lewis is a very great fighter, however for me the great majority of his career was about that right hand and pretty much nothing else (including a suspect chin). It was much later in his career that he got his jab together and some fine moves and became truly great. You might please keep in mind, I'm old school and just plain old lol!
1. Tenure as Champion: Advantage Tyson because he had a more impressive reign; his 1986 to 1990 was more impressive than Lewis's 1999-2003 2. Quality of Opposition: Even. Lewis has better names but most were shopworn when he faced them whereas Tyson beat the same calibre of opponents that were closer to thier respective best. Even with their mutual opponents Tyson faced them when they are younger and fresher. 3. Notable Losses/Omissions: Advantage Lewis. Avenged both defeats and beat everyman he's faced. 4. Ability as a fighter /Head to Head: Advantage Tyson. Topped the p4p lists in the late 80s thrice in a row; his losses were career defining wins for his opponents who put together a herculean effort to pull it off. With Lewis you don't need to dominate or outbox him to beat him, a well timed right hand can do the trick. 5. Historical Significance: Advantage Tyson RESUME: Mike Tyson: 1) Micheal Spinks (Undefeated Lineal Champion) 2) Tony Tucker (Undefeated IBF Champion) 3) Razor Ruddock (#2 Ranked Contender All 3 Bodies) X 2 4) Pinklon Thomas (Fmr WBC champ + #1 Rank WBC) 5) Larry Holmes (Fmr Lineal Champion) 6) Bonecrusher Smith (WBA Champion) 7) Frank Bruno (#2 Ranked All 3 Bodies/WBC Champ) X 2 8) Trevor Berbick (WBC Champion) 9) Tony Tubbs (#2 Ranked All 3 Bodies + Fmr WBA Champ) 10) Carl Williams (#1 Ranked IBF) 11) Andrew Golota (#9 Ranked Contender WBC) 12) Frans Botha (#1 Ranked IBF Contender + Fmr IBF Champ) 13) Tyrell Biggs (#1 Ranked Contender All 3 Bodies) 14) Bruce Seldon (WBA Champion) 15) Alex Stewart (#3 Ranked Contender All 3 Bodies) Lennox Lewis 1. Vitali Klitschko (#1 Ranked Conteder WBA/WBC) 2. Donovan 'Razor' Ruddock (#1 Ranked Contender WBC) 3. Evander Holyfield (WBA/IBF Champion/Fmr Lineal Undisputed Champion) 4. Mike Tyson (#1 Ranked Contender WBC/Fmr Lineal Undisputed Champion) 5. Ray Mercer (Fmr WBO Champ) 6. Tommy Morrison (#2 Ranked Contender WBC/Fmr WBO Champ) 7. David Tua (#1 Ranked Contender WBC) 8. Andrew Golota (#1 Ranked Contender WBC) 9. Frans Botha (#9 Ranked Contender WBC/Fmr IBF Champ) 10. Frank Bruno (#5 Ranked Contender All 3 bodies) 11. Shannon Briggs (Lineal Title) 12. Micheal Grant (#2 Ranked Contender WBC/IBF) 13. Tony Tucker (#1 Ranked Contender WBC/Fmr IBF Champ) 14. Hasim Rahman (Lineal Champion) 15. Oliver McCall (WBC Champion)
I still rate Lewis higher, but you gave solid reasoning for why it is a valid opinion to place Tyson higher. Good post
I think including Holmes who hadn't had a fight in sixteen months and an atrociously short time to prepare for Tyson as a big win for him is kind of erroneous. Put Tyson at that age against a 30 year old Holmes and Tyson gets stopped in eight. Buster Douglas wasn't Larry Holmes, baby.
Holmes ironically showed exactly how to beat Tyson during their fight, even Douglas knew that and capitalized on it. Holmes was bizarrely just starting to work the jab and right hand effectively and tie Tyson up when he got hit and panicked. The fight itself was no different from Lewis Tyson, with an aging champion being beaten just for the money. Shoot even Mike said that himself.
Or maybe I'm just way too defensive when it comes to Larry. I love that man as a fighter a whole lot... Couldja tell? Lol
1) Muhammad Ali 2) Joe Louis 3) Larry Holmes 4) Jack Johnson 5) George Foreman 6) Lennox Lewis 7) Mike Tyson 8) Joe Frazier 9) Evander Holyfield 10) Rocky Marciano I find this much harder than compiling a Light-Heavy, Middle or Welter list. I tend to think that the Heavyweights have been nowhere near as good, pound for pound, as the champions from other divisions, and as a result it's difficult to produce a clear reason as to why Fighter A should be above Fighter B once you get past the first few names. For years now I've been happy with my top three, and haven't felt any need to change them. But numbers 4-10 can be switched around between them at the drop of a hat. My near misses right now are Jeffries, Liston and Dempsey (Wladimir and Tunney a little behind them), and if I made a list again next week one of those guys might find themselves nicking a spot near the bottom of my ten. But it's a dynasty of underachievers, short primes, guys who feasted on average opposition or who made a name for themselves dominating much smaller guys. As such, I suppose my list is more indicative rather than a bold declaration of exactly where I rate these guys.
I rate Larry clear number 3 with Lewis right on his heals at 4. I also pick Holmes to beat Ali H2H. To me he is on par with the best ever. But I feel the same way when people exclude Frazier from the top 10, or pick him to lose to mediocre journeymen with a punch in H2H’s. Or call him a one armed one punch fighter revealing that they really don’t know him, and just regurgitate the narrative about him. Oh well
You're making me want to start watching Lewis videos all afternoon lol! Frazier's right hand was no joke, both overhand and uppercut. As I've mentioned, I think even Joe Louis would have had an extremely hard time with him from around the time of the (incredible) Ellis TKO to Ali. It's just that Joe had SUCH a great left hook, quicker though not as powerful as Foreman's, it can be easy to let the wonder of that hook take away from appreciation for his right. Imagine Frazier and Tyson in their primes. I don't think it would have lasted long, but to me it's a tough pick. Again I must champion the Frazier who beat Ali and pick him, probably in a three round slugfest of barbaric proportions (it sure is fun when I think about it).
